Hey there, fellow gearheads, material processors, and anyone who’s ever stared at a tub grinder and wondered “what else can this thing do?” Let’s cut to the chase today: can a tub grinder—you know, the big, beefy industrial workhorse I supply to yards, recycling plants, and manufacturing floors—actually process crayons? Tub Grinder
I get why you’d ask. When I tell customers my line of tub grinders is built for crushing everything from construction debris to whole tree branches to pallets, the first follow-up after “how much is it?” is usually some wild, random material. Crayons aren’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind when you think of heavy-duty grinding, right? But stick with me here—this isn’t some random “can you grind a rubber chicken?” question. There’s actual method to the crayon madness, and if you’re in the market for a tub grinder, it’s a real, niche use case that makes total sense once you break it down.
First, let’s recap what a tub grinder actually does, because I’ve had so many new customers mix these up with wood chippers or even small yard shredders. My tub grinders are that big, circular, open-top hopper (the “tub” part) with a horizontal spinning flywheel that has hard, replaceable hammers on it. Unlike chippers, which have sharp rotating blades that tear stuff, grinders crush and shear material into uniform, smaller particles—perfect for consistent processing down the line. The hammers are heavy-duty, made of high-chromium steel, so they take a beating. The tub’s size and hammer configuration are customizable, which is key here. That flexibility is why some people are testing them on crayons, not just the standard stuff I sell for.
Now, crayons themselves. They’re mostly paraffin wax, right? Plus pigment, a tiny bit of stearic acid to make them solid, and sometimes a little plastic or latex binder to keep the pigment from rubbing off. Most crayons are solid, dense, and come in all shapes—broken bits, whole sticks, even the giant bulk boxes of discarded ones from schools or craft companies. The goal when processing crayons? Usually melting them down to make new bulk crayons, crayon melts for candles, art supply refills, or even eco-friendly crayons for kids. That means you need a uniform particle size, no big chunks that’ll clog a melting tank, and no extra gunk (like paper wrappers, though you’d take those off first).
Wait, so why would you use a tub grinder for that instead of a dedicated plastic grinder or even a small shredder? Let’s get real here—small shredders for crayons suck if you’re doing more than a few pounds a day. They jam all the time, their blades get dull fast on the pigment, and you end up with a mix of tiny bits and half-sticks. A tub grinder, though, is built for high-volume, tough material. If you’re a school district tossing 500 pounds of broken crayons a semester, or a craft company reprocessing thousands of pounds of off-spec crayons, a tub grinder can handle that like it’s nothing. And the best part? You don’t have to modify the grinder much to make it work for crayons. Let me walk you through how that works, so you know it’s not just a gimmick.
First, prep step: remove all paper wrappers. That’s non-negotiable, right? Wrappers are paper, and they’ll mix in with the wax if you leave them, ruining the final product. Super easy—most crayon wrappers peel off by hand, or you can blast them with air if you’re running a ton. Once they’re stripped, you just load the crayons right into the tub. No need to break them up beforehand, either—the tub’s hammers will do that.
Next, the grinder settings. This is where it gets smart, not just guesswork. For crayons, you don’t need the hardest hammers or the tightest screen (wait, right—tub grinders have a replaceable screen at the bottom that controls particle size, that’s another thing people mix up with chippers). For crayons, you want a medium hammer speed—like, not so fast that you spray tiny wax bits everywhere, but fast enough to shear the solid crayons into small, consistent pieces. The screen size is key here: if you want crayon bits that’re perfect for melting, go for a ½-inch to 1-inch screen. That’s big enough to let the wax flow smoothly through a melting tank, no clogs, and small enough that you don’t have to wait hours for a big chunk to melt. If you’re making crayon shavings for crafts, you can even adjust the screen to get slightly larger bits, though I’ve found medium is the sweet spot for most commercial uses.
Wait, but hold on—crayons are wax, they’re soft. Do they gum up the grinder hammers? That’s the big question everyone asks. And honestly, only if you’re not running the grinder at a reasonable temperature or cleaning it occasionally. Paraffin wax melts at around 120 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit, right? Most tub grinders run at temperatures well below that—unless you’re cranking the speed to 10,000 RPM (which you’d never do for any material, by the way) or running it in a super hot warehouse. The hammers are steel, so a tiny bit of wax on them just cools and flakes off when the grinder’s off, or you can wipe it down with a rag after use in 2 minutes. I had a customer test this last year, a small batch candle company that was reprocessing discarded crayons, and they ran their grinder on crayons for 3 weeks straight before they even had to do a deep clean. No gunk, no jams, just consistent bits. That’s way better than using a small plastic grinder that would gum up in 20 pounds of crayons.
Now, let’s be real—this isn’t for every crayon processor. If you’re a mom making 10 pounds of crayons for your kid’s birthday, a $20 manual shredder from Amazon works. But if you’re processing 500+ pounds a month? A tub grinder is way more efficient, cost-effective, and gives you a better end product. Let’s do the quick math: a small, entry-level tub grinder (which is what I sell for these niche applications) costs a fraction of a dedicated commercial crayon grinder, and it does so much more. Like, if your crayon reprocessing side hustle takes off, you can use the same grinder to process pallets for extra cash, or wood chips for mulch, or even plastic bottles that don’t need a super high-speed grinder. That’s the beauty of it—it’s a multi-use machine, not a one-trick pony.
Wait, I should also mention a common mistake people make. They load too many crayons at once, like they’re throwing a handful of leaves into a lawnmower. No, tub grinders have a capacity limit for a reason—overloading causes jams, and when you’re dealing with wax, a jam can make the bits stick together in clumps that are too big for melting. The sweet spot for medium tub grinders is 500 to 1,000 pounds of crayons per load, depending on screen size. Go slow, let the hammers do their work, and you’ll get a perfect, uniform batch every time.
Another thing: eco-friendly angle, which is huge right now. A lot of schools and craft companies are tossing broken crayons, and instead of sending them to a landfill, they’re reprocessing them. Using a tub grinder makes that reprocessing easy—you don’t have to pay a third party to shred them, you do it in-house, cut costs, and keep waste out of landfills. I had a school district in Ohio reach out a few months ago—they were sending 700 pounds of broken crayons a year to the dump, and with a small tub grinder, they now reprocess them into new bulk crayons for their art classes. That’s not just a “can it work?” story—that’s a real win for their budget and the planet.
Now, let’s talk about limitations, because I’m not gonna sell you a unicorn that does everything perfectly. First, you can’t process crayons with non-wax parts, like the plastic crayon holders that some kids use. Those plastic parts are denser, they’ll wear down the hammers faster, and if you mix them in with wax, you end up with bits of plastic in your final crayons. So you just have to separate those out first. Second, if you’re processing crayons with a lot of other stuff mixed in—like old markers, or crayons that have been mixed with dirt or food—you’ll need to sift the final product to get rid of the debris. That’s just good practice for any grinding, though, not just crayons.
Wait, and what about dust? Wax dust is real, but it’s way less of a problem than wood dust or metal shavings. If you set up your grinder in a well-ventilated area, or even add a small dust collection fan (which I can hook up to most of my tub grinders), the fine wax bits just get sucked up, no mess, no cleanup. I’ve had customers say they can wipe the grinder down with a dry rag after a full day of grinding crayons, and it’s done. No sticky mess, no long cleanup.
So putting it all together: yes, a tub grinder can absolutely be used for processing crayons. It’s efficient, cost-effective for high-volume use, gives you uniform particles perfect for melting or crafts, and since the grinder’s built to handle tough, dense materials, it doesn’t gum up or jam like smaller shredders would. The key is picking the right size grinder, adjusting the settings (hammer speed and screen size) for crayons, and following basic prep steps to remove wrappers and non-wax parts.
If you’re someone who’s got a pile of broken crayons, or you’re a business looking to get into crayon reprocessing, or even just curious if a tub grinder can do more than the standard stuff I sell for—hit me up. I don’t do generic sales pitches, I’ll tell you straight if a tub grinder makes sense for your use case, or if you’d be better off with a different machine. No pressure, no hidden fees, just real talk about getting a machine that works for what you need.
I’ve been supplying tub grinders for over 12 years, and I’ve seen them do everything from processing construction debris to turning old tires into mulch. Crayons were a new one a few years back, but once a handful of small businesses and schools proved it works, it’s become a go-to niche use. So if you’re ready to stop messing around with flimsy small shredders that jam and cost a fortune to replace, let’s chat. We can work out what size grinder fits your volume, customize the settings if you need, and make sure you get exactly what you need to process those crayons (or whatever else you’ve got lying around).
Wood Hammer Mill References
- Tub Grinder Function and Applications, 2023
- Paraffin Wax Processing for Art and Reuse, 2022
- Industrial Grinding Efficiency for Low-Density Materials, 2021
- School Crayon Reuse Programs: Case Studies, 2023
- Maintenance Tips for Heavy-Duty Grinders, 2022
Shandong Hualing Machine Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
As one of the most professional tub grinder manufacturers and suppliers in China, we also support customized service with low price. Please rest assured to buy discount tub grinder in stock here from our factory. If you have any enquiry about quotation, please feel free to email us.
Address: Industrial Park, Dagong Village, Changshan Town, Zouping City, Shandong Province
E-mail: hualing@sdhualing.com
WebSite: https://www.hualingmachine.com/
